The Sustainable Packaging Suite: One Supplier, Every Solution

Sometimes it’s more efficient and cost effective to bundle everything from one supplier. Buying sustainable packaging is a perfect example of this. Rather than dealing with the time and headaches of shopping here and there for packing materials, you can streamline your operation by turning to one supplier that has all the sustainable packaging solutions you need.

In this article, we take a deeper dive into this option, including:

• The reasons why using one supplier for packaging is preferable
• Which packing materials are essential for small and medium businesses
• Two types of sustainable packaging that are a must for larger companies 

Whether you’re just starting to use sustainable packaging, are scaling your business, or are looking to cut waste, the tips below will be invaluable in selecting a packaging suite that has everything you need. 

Why Using One Supplier Makes More Sense

Most people today have specific computer and device setups that revolve around one program or operating system. They might prefer Apple, Android, or Microsoft Windows, so they construct a home or office communication system around one of those types of devices. Why? It’s much easier to mesh, say, a laptop, mobile, and tablet when they’re all using the same operating system.

Similarly, it makes sense to use one supplier for your sustainable packaging products. It all comes down to improved efficiency, no matter what size business you own or manage.

Greater Operational Efficiency

With packing materials, products from the same supplier are often meant to work together. For example, some honeycomb kraft paper void fill is designed to interlock with product wrap made with the identical slit-paper structure. Not only do they support each other for better cushioning, no tape or adhesives are needed, which may not be the case if you mix and match packing materials from different sources. The benefits? 

• Faster packing times
• Fewer returns for damage
• Less wasted material
• Lower packaging costs

Whether you want to pack a higher volume of parcels each hour or make better use of your labor force, streamlining your operation will help. 

Personalized Comprehensive Solutions

Another reason to purchase your sustainable packaging from one supplier is that they can tailor materials and dispensing to suit your company’s unique needs. You might be interested in reducing damage or maximizing storage for your packing supplies. Maybe you want to scale your operation over the coming year and need a plan you can phase in.

Using one supplier allows you to harness the power of a team that knows all your packaging needs and which materials you’re currently using. They can make more personalized suggestions for new products or dispensing systems—for now and for the future. It’s a bit like finding one mechanic who can work on your entire vehicle, rather than piecemealing repairs between several garages where a problem or opportunity might be missed.

Additional Benefits

There are a couple of other pluses to using one supplier for your packaging materials. First, if you’re using sustainable packaging, you’re obviously committed to packing products that are better for the environment. Using one supplier leaves a lower carbon footprint, which dovetails nicely with that.

For the staff who are doing the ordering and paying bills, single sourcing is also preferable. There are fewer accounts to keep track of, and ordering everything much less time. 

Sustainable Packaging for Small and Medium-Size Businesses

If you’re shipping merchandise to customers or associates as a smaller business, there are a couple of sustainable packaging solutions that should be mainstays of your parcel assembly. We mentioned them just above: void fill and product wrap. 

Product Wrap

Sustainable product wrap is a great alternative to sheets of plastic bubble, which is bad for the environment, poses hazards to human health, and is being regulated out of use. Product wrap goes around fragile items or those you don’t want to rub against each other, like ceramic plates or framed artwork. It’s one key step in preventing wear and breakage. 

Void Fill

If you’re packing items in a box for shipping or, for instance, to be grouped together for a subscription presentation, you want to add some void fill. Businesses that have embraced sustainable packaging use paper void fill to provide cushioning in empty spaces (voids) in their parcels or containers. It’s the next step in protecting your goods from impact. 

Protective Mailer

Are you wasting money and storage space using boxes to ship tiny items? You don’t need a big box for something like jewelry, small electronics, or car dashboard parts. A protective mailer—aka padded envelope—may be just what you need (and just what customers want).

Rather than using one lined with plastic bubble, you can also find sustainable options that use the same slit-paper design as your product wrap and void fill for superior cushioning that’s also earth-friendly. You’ll save on supplies, time, and shipping by using a protective mailer, even if you first use a layer of product wrap for extra cushioning. 

Packing Solutions for High-Volume Companies

If your business does a higher volume of packing and shipping, there are several other sustainable packaging products that you probably need. These are for transporting larger items and for managing bulk containers of merchandise. 

Wood-Free Crating

Just as many businesses are putting plastic packaging in the rear view mirror, so too are companies doing away with old-fashioned wooden crating, which has barely changed in literally hundreds of years. They’re replacing it with wood-free crating made of recycled material, and it can be recycled itself after multiple uses. What are the advantages of modern wood-free crating?

• Better for the environment because it’s sustainable
• Easier to dispose of since it’s recyclable
• Lighter weight for easier lifting and lower shipping costs
• No exposure to chemical treatments for pesticides
• Free of nails and screws that scratch goods and people
• More resistant to vibration to reduce instrument recalibration

This type of crating can be used by virtually any kind of business. But it’s particularly popular with industries like aerospace, automotive, and furniture, as well as fine art. 

Pallet Wrap

Large and enterprise-level companies typically know about palletizing items for easier moving and loading. It also protects them better from theft and tampering. But if your business is in a growth phase, you may only now be learning about pallet loading and merchandise protection with pallet wrap. And no matter what, you may not know there is an alternative to outmoded plastic stretch pallet wrap.

Kraft paper pallet wrap functions similarly to paper product wrap on a larger scale. It offers surprising stretch with superior load stability. This protects both your merchandise and your workers. Plus you can use less of it to wrap a load, which means your team can operate more quickly without any compromise in protection. As a bonus, it’s curbside recyclable or can be baled for resale. 

HexcelPack Will Customize Sustainable Packaging Solutions for You

The sustainable packaging experts at HexcelPack make it easy for businesses of any size to try our suite of products and enjoy customized packing solutions. We offer three ways to do this: 

1. Ship your products to us. We’ll wrap, pack, and ship them back to you, so you can see firsthand how effecting our packing materials are.
2. Visit our online store for small quantities of packing materials like void fill and product wrap, including manual dispensers for these.
3. Reach out to our team to tell us about your packaging challenges. We can tailor packing materials and manual or automated dispensing options to your company. 

You don’t have to put up with the hassles of getting your sustainable packaging from multiple suppliers. Start the conversation with HexcelPack, and step into the convenience of end-to-end solutions from one innovative and knowledgeable supplier.